Attachment for record players and other coin controlled machines



J1me 1957 R. E. HARRIS 2,795,774

ATTACHMENT FOR RECORD PLAYERS AND OTHER COIN CONTROLLED MACHINES FiledAug. 24, 1953 iNVENTOR ROY E=HARRIS AT TORNEYS United States Patent FURRECORD PLAYERS AND OTHER. COIN CONTROLLED MACHINES Roy E. Harris,Racine, Wis.

Application August 24, 1953, Serial No. 375,941

1 Claim. (Cl. 340-'-I62) This invention 'appertains broadly to'annunciators, and more particularly to a novel "attachment for coincontrolled record players, juke boxes and other like machines, tostimulate the playing thereof by patrons of a public place.

In coin controlled record players, a customer can select a record to beplayed that he desires, and in order to add interest to the playing ofthe machine, it is one of the primary objects of this invention toprovide means whereby the attendant of a public place in which therecord player is located can select (unknown to the patrons) a record,as the mystery tune of the hour or day, as the case may be, and when acustomer plays the selected record suitable annunciators make known thisfact to all persons in the establishment.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide an electricalattachment for coin controlled record players and the like embodying amaster selector switch under the control of an operator of anestablishment for placing in circuit any desired record, so that uponthe selection of the record by a customer visual or audible signals willannounce this fact to the public assembled.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a plurality ofcircuits controlled by the movement of a record into and out of playingposition with a master selector switch for rendering a desired circuitoperative upon the playing of one certain record to bring about theactuation of any desired type of signal.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will behereinafter more specifically described and claimed and illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which drawing, the figure is a schematicview illustrating the wiring diagram for my attachment for an automaticrecord playing machine.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the letter A generally indicates mynovel attachment for a coin controlled automatic record playing machineM. All parts have been shown diagrammatically as stated above, and onlya sufiicient showing of the machine M has been illustrated to bringabout the necessary understanding of the invention.

The record player M is of the type embodying a plurality of recordswhich are movable into and out of playing position upon the depositingof a coin and the selection thereof by a patron. In the drawing, I haveonly shown 5 records, with 4 of these records in their non playingposition and the 5th record being moved to its playing position, and itis to be understood that in actual practice, the record player holdsfrom 24 to 50 records, depending upon its make.

My attachment A comprises a master selector switch 6 and a switch 7 foreach record to be played. Where the machine M contains a great number ofrecords then, if desired, a switch 7 can be provided for say, every 5threcord.

The master selector switch 6 includes a panel 8 having two spaced rowsof contacts 9 and 10, with each row of 2,795,774 Patented June 11,1.95.7

contacts arranged in an are-era circle andthe-panel can be formed fromdielectric *inate'rial. Mounted on the panel for turning movement is amanually operable sel'ect'or member 11 including oppositely extendingconductor switch arms '12 and 13. These switch arms are in sulated onefrom the other by a dielectric hub 14 and upon the turning of the hub,the arms 12 and 13 can be moved into contact with selected contacts ofthe rows 9 and 10.

All'of the record operated switches 7 are rnounted upon a panel strip 15located in close proximity to the records 5 to be played. Theswitchesare all of identical "form and each include stationary contactleaves 16 and 17 provided respectively with cont-act points 18 and 19.Between the stationary leaves 16 and 17 is mounted a movable resilientswitch leaf 20 carrying'on its opposite sides contact points 21 and 22.-The forward outer end of the leaf is curved to provide a guide leg '23which is adapted to be engaged "by a record disposed in a nonplaying,non-selected position. The movable leaf '20 'is so tensioned, astonormally bring its contact 22 in*elec Pce v trical engagement with thecontact 19 of a stationary'leaf 17. When a record 'is in its non-playingposition "the 're'co'rd engages the leg 23 and moves the leaf {20 awayfrom the leaf 17 and toward the leaf 16 to bringth'e contact 21 intoelectrical engagement with the contact 18 of the stationary leaf 16.

Now referring to the wiring for the master selector switch 6 and thevarious record switches 7; current is derived from any suitable sourcesuch as a house circuit indicated by the reference character C, in whichinstance a transformer 24 can be employed for lowering the voltage. LeadWires 25 and 26 are electrically connected to the transformer and thewire 25 leads directly to and is electrically connected with the arm 13and the master selector switch member 11. Interposed in the length ofthe wire 25 is a suitable signal, such as an electric light 27. The leadwire 26 extends toward the record switches 7 and is electricallyconnected with the movable leaf 20 of each switch 7 by a branch wire 28.Connected with the contacts of the row of contacts 10 are independentconductor wires 29, and these Wires are electrically connected with theleaves 16 of the switches 7it being understood that one wire 29 leads toone leaf 16 of a certain switch 7.

Considering that all of the records are in a non-playing position, thenall of the leaves 20 of the switches 7 will be flexed so that thecont-acts 18 and 21 are in engagement and in which instance, currentflow will be through wire 25, lamp 27, switch arm 13, a selected contactof the row of contacts 10, wire 29, leaf 16, contacts 18 and 21 of aselected switch 7, branch wire 28 back through wire 26 and the lamp 27will be constantly illuminated until the mystery tune selected by theoperator of an establishment is played by a patron.

Leading from the contacts of the row of contacts 9 are independentconductor wires 30 and these wires are electrically connectedrespectively to the switch leaves 17 of the switches 7.

Electrically connected with the arm 12 of the master selector switchmember 11 is a conductor wire 31 which leads to and is electricallyconnected to the lead wire 25 adjacent to the transformer 24. Interposedin the length of the wire 31 is a suitable annunicator such as a buzzer32. It is to be understood that this annunciator can be of any type orcharacter, such as a bell, buzzer, horn, etc. In fact, a record playercould be substituted for the buzzer 32 so that the announcement of theplaying of the mystery tune could be made by a voice reproduction.

In operation of my attachment the master selector switch is placed at apoint distant from the coin controlled record player, and preferablyback of a bar OI 3 the like. The operator of the establishment now movesthe switch so that the arms 12 and 13 will contact selected contacts ofthe rows of contacts 9 and 10 (see drawing). When a patron plays therecord selected by the operator of the establishment, the record movesfrom its nonplaying position to its playing position and releases themovable leaf 20 of its switch 7, at which time the circuit through thelamp 27 is broken and the light goes out.

Simultaneous with this operation, a circuit is closed through theannunciator or buzzer 32 and this sound informs the public that thepatron has located and played the mystery tune of the hour or day, asthe case may be.

The current flow is as follows: through wire 25, annunciator 32, wire31, switch arm 12, selected contact of the row of contacts 9, throughselected wire 30, to leaf 17 of the selected record switch 7, contacts19 and 22, switch leaf 20, and wire 26 back to the transformer.

While my attachment has been particularly designed for coin controlledrecord players, it is to be understood that the attachment can besuccessfully used with other coin controlled machines, such as pin ballmachines, bowling machines, etc., and in this instance, the masterselector switch will be actuated by the operator of an establishment topick out a certain score as the mystery score for the hour or day.

Changes in details may be made Without departing from the spirit or thescope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

An attachment for coin controlled record players co prising independentswitches for the records of the player adapted to be actuated by themovement of the records from playing to non-playing positions, each ofsaid switches including spaced stationary contacts and an intermediatemovable leaf adapted to electrically contact either one of thestationary contacts according to the position of a record, independentcircuits for one stationary contact of the switches, independent ciruitsfor the other stationary contacts of the switches, a master switch forselectively completing any one of the circuits associated with a contactwhich is contacted by the corresponding intermediate contact when thecorresponding record is in the non-playing position and simultaneouslypreparing the circuit for the associated contact which is contacted bythe same intermediate contact when the same record is in playingposition, and two separate signals, one for each set of circuits.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,395,826 Hopkins Nov. 1, 1921 1,414,298 Montero Apr. 25, 1922 2,302,155Taylor Nov. 17, 1942 2,333,002 Goloborodko Oct. 26, 1943 2,463,050Pasternack Mar. 1, 1949

